Spring-hinge.



No. 800,074. PATE'N'IBD SEPT. 19, 1905.

K. V. CLARK.

SPRING HINGE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 15 r90 4;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1 ll" [1|- "III; 142

I I n I I r No.800,074. PAT-ENTED SEPT. 19, 1905.

K. v CLARK. SPRING HINGE.

APPLIUATION III-ED JULY 15,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'KIMBALL v. CLARK, 0F- BUFFALO, NEW

' SPRING-HINGE.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

YORK.

Patented Sept. 19, 1905.

Application filed uly 15, 1904. Serial No- 216,709.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KIMBALL V. CLARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State ofNeW York, haveinvented new and useful Improve' ments in Spring-Hinges, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to spring-hinges of that class in which. thespring is mounted in a frame independent of the'leaves of the hinge,"

the frame being so connected with the leaves that the force of thespring throws theleaves in either direction with equal facility orvmaintains the said leaves in proper resilient relation.

The spring-frame particularly embodying the features'of the invention isreadily detachable from or applicable to the leaves by imparting theretoa rolling motion in either one of two directions in contradistinction toa direct pull or inward push with respect to the leaves to facilitatedetachment or assemblage of a screen-door or other movable closure withwhich the hinge may be usedwithout requiring the removal of thefastening devices of either hinge-leaf. The spring is wholly carried bythe frame therefor, and said frame is composed of two interacting ormovable members with which the spring-terminals individually engage, theheads or ends of the members having stops in reverse positions engaginga part of each frame member and operating to limit or restrict theresilient action of the spring to avoid too great inner contraction ofthe members to permit the application and separation of thespring-carrying frame and spring with respect to the hingeleaves, but atthe same time set up suificient tension on the members of the frame toinstitute a locking assemblage thereof of sufficient resistance tocounteract any tendency to accidental displacement. The members of thespring-carrylng frame have inner progectlons or tongues to engageopenings orslots at 1ntermediate points in the leaves of the hinge,

said projections or tongues being normally a less distance apart thanthe nearest walls of the openings or slots, the opposite ends orextremities of the springcarrying frame when applied to the hinge-leavesbeing loosely disposed close to the hingerknuckles and 'un-. connectedto the latter.

In springs of this class as heretofore usually constructed projectingears have been employed for releasing the spring and require extrememanual force to overcome the resistance of the spring. both in thesetting and detaching operations, the said ears not only adding to theexpense of manufacture, but always liable to breakage, and when brokenthe hinge becomes practically useless as a detachable organization, andunder the most favorable circumstances the parts can only be separatedby the introduction of some tool between .the leaves and thespring-frame. This disadvantage is overcome by the present form ofhinge, and particularly in view of the terminal stops carried by themembers of the spring-frame and which arrest the tension of the springexactly at the desired point and separate the projections, tongues, orclaws suflioi ently to form entering wedges in rela' tion to the slotsor openings in the leaves, and by this construction also the hinge isrendered more strong and durable and the operations of detaching andassembling the parts of the hinge are simplified.- In the drawings,Figure 1 is a front elevation of a hinge'embodying the features of theand spring looking toward the inner side thereof. Fig. 4 is ahorizontalsection on the line 4 4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a rear elevation ofthe hinge.

' .Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts in the several views.

The numerals l and 2 designate the leaves of the hinge, each of which isprovided with two ears 3 and 4:, the ear 4 of each leaf being placedjust within the ear 3 of the other leaf," the contiguous ears beingconnected by two pintle-studs 5 on the ears 3 to form two knuckleslocated at the opposite ends of the hinge and separated by sufiicientspace for easy operation or movement of the hingeleaves in a mannercommon in hinges of this class. The inner opposing edges 6 of the.leaves 1 and 2 are beveled or inclined inwardly' toward each other, andat their terminals have coinciding stops 7 which limit the backwardmovement of theleaves, these stops being so positioned that when a dooror other closure connected to the hinge is fully closed they will cometogether andobstruct further movement of the leaves with obvious advan-.

tages'. The inner edges 6 of the leaves 1 and 2 at the center haveopenings or slots 8 formed therein, one in each, and adjacent to eachslot and forming part of the edge of the leaf in which the slot isformed is a coupling rib or enlargement 9, which forms the inner sidewall of the slot. The outer edges of these coupling-ribs 9 are rounded,and the inner edges are projected to come into close relation when thehinge-leaves are in alinement, as shown by Figs. 1, 2, and 5. Aspring-carrying frame 10 is removably inserted between the inner ears 4:and the respective leaves, the ends or extremities of this frame havingloose movement with respect to said ears and unattached thereto. Thespring-frame consists of two members 11 and 12, each havinginwardly-projecting heads 13 and 14 at opposite ends, the heads 14 beingwithin the heads 13 and formed with central sockets 15 to receivepintle-studs 16,projectinginwardly from the heads 13. The heads 14 arethicker than the heads 13 and have inwardly-extending circular bosses17, over which are fitted the opposite terminal helices of a coil-spring18, the opposite ends 19 of this spring being projected in oppositedirections and engaging seat enlargements 20in the opposite edges of therespective members 11 and 12, adjacent to the heads 14. The seatenlargements extend outwardly beyond the heads 14 in reverse position toform guard-lugs 21 for the heads 13, the inner edges of said guard-lugsbeing concaved to permit the heads 13 to have free movement withrelation thereto.

One of the most important features of the present invention is theformation of a stop 22 with the rear portion of each head 11, the stopsof the respective heads 14: being in reverse position and both stopsheld in firm engagement with the rear edge portions of the sides of themembers 11 and 12 when the spring 17 is inserted in the members. Thefunction of these stops is to restrict the inner or rearward contractionof the two members 11 and. 12 to control the spaced relation betweenrearwardly extending projections, tongues, or claws 23, forming parts ofthe sides of the said members 11 and 12, there being one projection,tongue, or claw on each member. The projections, tongues, or claws areinclined rearwardly toward each other and have their inner edgesconstructed with longitudinally-disposed concave seats 24 to fit overand move on the outer rounded edges of the coupling-ribs 9. The minimumdistance between the edges of the projections, tongues, or claws 23 isless than the maximum distance between the outer rounded edges of thecoupling-ribs 9, and to facilitate the application of the projections,tongues, or claws the rear surfaces of the same are given a convexcontour.

In assembling the spring-carrying frame it is positioned between theinner ears 4 and turned at an angle to cause one of the projections,tongues, or claws 23 to engage one of the openings or slots 8 and isthen pressed over until the opposite projection, tongue, or claw passesthe remaining coupling-rib 9 aml extends into operative relation to theother opening or slot 8. In connecting the projections, tongues, orclaws 23 to the couplingribs in the manner just explained the saidprojections, tongues, or claws are expanded against the resistance ofthe spring 17, and while the tongues or projections have unrestrictedmovement over the outer rounded edges of the coupling-ribs, owing to theconcave seats in the projections or tongues, the latter are held withsuch restriction in connection with the coupling-ribs that amzideutaldisplacement of the spring-carrying frame is prevented during theoperation of the hinge.

This improved hinge may be properly termed a holdback-hinge when thespringcarrying frame is assembled with the hingeleaves. Furthermore,when the spring-carrying frame is in connection with the leaves looseseparating movement thereof is obstructed; but as soon as thespring-earryiug frame is rolled in either direction by lateral pressureexerted thereagainst and disconnected from the coupling-ribs the partsof the hinge may be readily se mrated. It requires but very little lateal pressure to separate the spring-carrying frame from the hinge-leaves,and in exerting such pressure the maximum tension of the springdoesnothave to beovercome, owing to the stop arrangement heretofore explained.

The improved hinge is adapted to be applied to screen-doors and otherclosures where it maybe found useful, and in different applicationschanges in the proportions, dimensions, and minor details ma be resortedto without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1.In a hinge, terminally-connected leaves, and a spring-carrying framehaving parts engaging the outer portions of the inner edges of theleaves and interposed between thorounections for the latter, the saidparts of the spring-carrying frame being removable and self-attachableby a transverse rolling movement with respect to the leaves.

2. In a hinge, the combination of connected hinge members, havinglongilaulinal cou plingribs at the inner edges and openings adjmzent tothe ribs, a spring-frame having members with longitudinal projectionsmovably and detachably engaging the said ribs and also provided withreversely-arranged stop devices at opposite ends, and a spring disposedin and solely engaging the members of said frame.

3. Ina hinge, the combination of movablyconnected leaves, and a framewith a spring disposed therein, said frame having movable members withpro ections engaging portions of the leaves and reversely-arranged endstops normally bearing on portions of the opposite members of the frame.I

4. In a hinge, the combination of connected leaves, and a frame carryinga spring and including movable members having projections engagingopposite parts of the leaves, the projections forming the soleconnecting means between the leaves and the frame and attachable anddetachable by a transverse rolling movement with respect to the leaveswithout requiring direct manual pressure on the spring.

5. In a hinge, the combination of movably and separably connectedleaves, a frame detachably interposed between the connected portions ofthe leaves and including two movable members each of which hasrev'ersely-arranged end stops and rearwardly-extending bers of theframe.

projections to engage portions of the leaves, the projections ofthemembers being operative to attach and detach the same by a transverserolling movement with respect to the leaves and Without resorting todirect manual pressure on the spring and a spring interposed betweenancl'solely engaging the mem- 6. In a hinge, the combination of movablyand separably connected leaves having'intermediate coupling-ribs, and aframe carrying a spring having two movable members provided withrearwardly-extending projections to removably and loosely engage thesaid ribs and attachable and detachable with respect to the latter by arolling movement transversely -of the leaves.

7 In a hinge, the combination ofseparablyconnected leaves, a frameremovably interposed between the connected portion of the leaves andincluding two interfitting members. having intermediate projectionsengaging portions of theleaves, and aspring disposed in and having itsterminals solely engaging the said members-the members being providedwith reversely-arranged end stops engaging portions of the oppositemembers to throw the tension of the spring on said members and forrestricting the tension of the spring on the projections. r

8. In a hinge, the combination of leaves having separably-connec'tedknuckles at opposite extremities, a seat-space being formed between theknuckles and the inner opposing edges of the leaves having intermediatecoupling-ribs with outer rounded edges and longitudinal openingsadjacent to said ribs, a frame having two members movably assembled andprovided with rearwardly-extending longitudinal projections to engagethe outer portions of the ribs, the inneropposing edges of theprojections being formed with longitudinal concave seats, and a springdisposed in the said frame and having the opposite terminals thereofindividually engaging the opposite frame members, the latter havingmeans cooperating with each other to restrict the tension of the springwith relation to the projections. Y

normally held in engagement with parts of.

-=the oppositesides of the individual members and also withrearwardly-extending projections to engage portions of the leaves, and aspring interposed between the opposite terminals of the frame and havingits ends engaging the sides of the members of the frame, the leaves alsohaving r'ear stop devices adjacent to the ends thereof.

10. A hinge, having two movably and separably connected leaves, and aframe carrying a spring, said frame being removably inter- "posedbetween the connected portions of the hinge and providedwith means toinstitute a movable wedging attachment with respect to the leaves byapplication thereto of lateral rolling pressure transversely of theleaves without directly compressing the spring.

In'testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

' KIMBALL V. CLARK. Witnesses:

GEORGE W. WHEELER, MAY MoRLEY. I

